Dual Samurais
by Katia Earley
Summary: PRS. What if instead of hiding Lauren away to learn the sealing symbol, she stayed at the Shiba home with Jayden and Ji? How would this change things? This story is my take on how the season would go.
1. Prologue

**AN: I just started re-watching all the episodes of Power Rangers on Netflix recently. I really forgot how much I liked it, and started getting the itch to write a fic. So I had a bunch of plot bunnies in my mind, but this one won out in the end to be written first. Please bear with me, I am still getting used to the fic writing. Also, please leave a comment. I would greatly appreciate it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Power Rangers. This is purely for fun, not money. Enjoy.**

Chaos; there was no other word to describe the atmosphere at the Shiba family home. The other rangers were already gathered near the gate, ready for another battle with Master Xandred and his army.

James Shiba could not have asked for a better team of rangers to lead. Never had they ever let him down in battle, and always had his back. Despite knowing the blunt and bitter truth of the danger they were in daily trying to defeat their harsh foe, James never truly worried about what would happen to him. His trust in his teammates, and theirs in him, made their mission to get rid of Master Xandred more bearable. He never worried over whether he would make it back home in one piece or not.

However, for the first time, James felt really worried and more anxious than he ever had before a battle. The anxiety and fear had seemed to have crawled up in his stomach about a week ago during the last nighlok attack, and had only grown and stayed there since. James knew better than anyone to trust in his instincts. He knew something bad was going to happen to him, and soon. That was why he came up with a backup plan.

"Daddy?" A little girl's voice called out, giving the head of the Shiba family a brief reprieve from his haunting thoughts. 'Speaking of plans,' he thought to himself.

The red ranger turned towards the voice, and despite the fear and the anxiety churning in his stomach, broke into a smile.

"Lauren, Jayden," he said, as he walked toward the front door of his home. His two children were there waiting side by side. "It's really late. You guys should be asleep."

"That is what I was trying to tell them," Ji, his oldest friend and mentor, replied as he walked up behind the two of them. He placed a comforting hand on both Lauren and Jayden's shoulders.

It was moments like this that James was glad he had Ji around. Ever since Ana's death a year ago, Ji had done a lot more than train with him and his teammates. He helped take care of Lauren and Jayden during nighlok attacks. He even kept them occupied when Lauren's face and Jayden's eyes reminded him too much of his late wife and James's sorrow wouldn't allow him to be around them. The children considered him as a surrogate uncle, someone they could go to if they ever needed anything. James was very grateful for that, especially now more than ever.

James bent down to his knee so he could look at his son and daughter better. 'So young,' he thought to himself. 'Lauren is only seven, and Jayden is turning five soon. How can I leave them with such a heavy burden? What kind of father would I be to do such a thing?'

"Daddy, you're leaving?" Lauren asked, placing her small hand on her father's cheek.

"Yes, Sweetheart, I am," James replied back, leaning into the hand and placing a kiss on the palm. "Do you know what that means?"

He looked at both his children as he asked this, needing them to understand the seriousness of the situation. Lauren turned to her little brother, and then back to her father. "Yes, Daddy, we do." Jayden, looking more solemn than any four year old ever should, nodded his head to give reinforce his older sister's statement.

James heaved a sigh. He was not disappointed. His children always seemed to be very perceptive of the world around them. A trait that they more than likely got from their mother. No seven and five year old should ever be forced to carry such a burden at such a young age. He knew it has long been a Shiba family duty to serve and protect, and he usually had no qualms about it. But doing this to his children- Lauren with her sweet, gentle, caring ways, and quiet, determined Jayden- was worse than any damage a nighlok could ever afflict on him.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out his folding zord, and held it out for Lauren to take. "Someday, the responsibility to be a red ranger will fall to you. Hopefully, if the plan we went over together goes right, you both will be able to share that responsibility. Being a red ranger means making the tough decisions and leading your team. Your teammates will depend on you and your guidance, and you will depend on them to be there for you. Remember, protect the world from evil," James gave a slight nod towards Ji. "Stand by your allies, and never run from a battle."

With shaking hands, Lauren look the device from her father's hand. She looked like she wanted to say something but she couldn't find the words.

'Don't I know the feeling, baby girl, don't I know the feeling," James thought.

"Master Xandred is on the move," the blue Samurai ranger stated abruptly, interrupting the conversation between the three Shiba family members. "We have to go!"

"Daddy," Jayden finally said. It appeared that while words were failing his daughter, his usually silent son was able to say something. "Be safe," he said as he wrapped his small arms around James's torso. Lauren followed her younger brother's actions, and soon the three of them were hugging each other.

'One more second, just one more," James thought. 'This may be my last chance to ever hold them again.' James couldn't put it off any longer, he needed to leave before he couldn't. Building up his resolve, he let go of his children, and placed his helmet on his head.

"Go back to sleep, kiddos. Ji will be here with you if you need anything." James said as he got up off his knees and went to leave with the rest of his team.

As he was going towards the gate, he turned back to see his two babies. 'I hope that the sealing symbol will work, and our plan will not be needed. But there is a very high possibility that it won't. I am so sorry, Lauren, Jayden for failing. Please know that I will always love you.'

And with that last parting glance and the thought of his love for his children, James left through the gates of the Shiba house for the last time.


	2. Chapter 1

**AN: So here is chapter 2. I wanted to do some background chapters before getting into the season. Hopefully it turned out okay. I am actually really starting to get into this writing to fic a lot more, and I'm pretty excited about it. Please leave reviews, even if it is to say that I am a horrible writer and should never write anything again. I appreciate the criticism and it will help me improve.**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Power Rangers. This is for fun, not money. Enjoy!**

It was early morning in the Shiba house, which meant that Jayden was training in the yard. The life of a samurai was a tedious one, dedication and vigilance needed all the time. Especially now with Master Xandred's moogers coming into this dimension. The attacks have been occurring more frequently, and Jayden needed to be in tip top shape. He was the red ranger. 'At least one of them, anyway,' he thought to himself.

Just as he was getting lost in his thoughts, he saw a blur of a bamboo stick come his way and aim for his legs. Unfortunately, so preoccupied in his wanderings, he was unable to block the attack. Jayden's legs gave way and he tumbled face first onto the mat. When he lifted his face from the ground, he saw a hand stretched out in front of him. He let out a groan. 'Every time.'

"Kind of distracted aren't you, little brother?" Lauren said as she pulled Jayden up off the ground. "You didn't even realize I was here," she continued with a smirk.

"Yeah well, I didn't know that you were going to sneak up on me," Jayden pouted. "Besides, you are supposed to be in the study practicing your symbol power."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "I was, but I figured I should try to help you improve. God knows you need it," she replied in humor.

"Hey! I am good. You were only able to hit me because I wasn't thinking you would be here," Jayden said indignantly.

"Well," Lauren said as she twirled her bamboo stick, "Let's see how good you are."

Jayden nodded his head, and got into sparring position.

"Ready?" Lauren asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Ready." Jayden replied back.

The two of them appeared to be evenly matched. It was obvious that they spent hours honing their skills for a long time. It showed in their graceful movements. Their sticks were attacking and blocking with such precision and accuracy that it looked more like they were dancing than sparring. It was difficult to tell which one will win. Jayden saw a chance to take his sister by surprise, but she was able to side step and block the attack. Both their sticks clanked together, making a cross.

"Looking good, little brother. But let's amp this up a bit, yes?" Lauren taunted.

"Bring it on, sis," Jayden snapped back, sweat gleaming on his forehead. He was starting to get tired, but he needed to keep going. 'Never run from a fight,' a voice echoed in his head. It didn't matter that this was just a training session and practice. He needed to treat everything as a real fight against Master Xandred and his minions. He needed to be better than good, he needed to be his all-time best.

It was that thought that made him push himself, thus seeming to get an upper hand against Lauren. Twirling the stick above his head, he aimed an attack to her side while she was trying to anticipate his next move.

Lauren gasped in pain, dropping her stick on the ground and wrapping her right hand around her injured left arm. The attack had hit harder than Jayden intended.

His eyes widened in surprise, and then quickly filled with guilt when he saw the rapidly purpling bruise on his older sister's arm. "Oh my god, Lauren," he exclaimed, "I am so sorry."

Lauren could see how guilty he was feeling, so she just waved away his apology. "Jayden, it's okay. We were sparring, you didn't do it on purpose. It'll be fine."

It appeared as though her words did nothing to make him feel better. Instead, Jayden took her by the good arm and led her through the house and into the kitchen to get some ice.

Sitting at the kitchen island was Ji, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of tea. "Good morning, Lauren, Jayden," He greeted them with a bright smile as he saw them enter the kitchen. However, as he saw the grim look on Jayden's face and Lauren savoring her left arm, he knew something was wrong. Looking more closely at Lauren's arm, he saw a bruise. "What happened?" He asked her in concern.

"I hurt her," Jayden said, pulling open the freezer door to get an ice pack. He shut the door with more force than necessary, creating a loud bang. Ji tried to catch Jayden's eyes, but he absolutely refused to meet his. Instead, he turned to Lauren.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he went to inspect her arm to make sure nothing else was wrong.

Lauren winced as his hand pressed the bruise by accident. "It's nothing really. Just a sparring accident," She replied.

"An accident that shouldn't have happened!" Jayden spit out harshly.

"Jayden," Ji started. For as long as Ji had known the boy, he knew how sensitive Jayden could be. He always felt things strongly but suffered quietly. Jayden would never share his own feelings unless you pulled it out of him and forced him to talk about it. Ji knew that accidentally hurting Lauren was something that would take him a while to get over.

Luckily, Lauren was a pro to getting Jayden out of his moods. "Little brother, don't even start right now. We were sparring. Sometimes accidents happen. Deal with it. Stop freaking out and just move on. I am not mad, and this will go away soon. Now you know what to avoid the next time so there would be no injuries."

Jayden didn't answer her, but Lauren could tell by the way the slight slacking of his shoulders that he was less angry with himself than before. "I know," he finally stated. "But that doesn't mean that I do not feel horrible about it."

'That's something at least,' she thought to herself. "Well, look at it this way. This means I have one free hit to give to you at any time I want. That okay to you?" She said as she went over to her brother to give him a hug.

Letting out a laugh, Jayden nodded wrapping his arms around her neck. "Yeah, that's good. Still sorry though. I should have been paying more attention."

Lauren pulled away from the hug and looked at her brother. "Okay, I forgive you Jayden, but only if you tell me what is bothering you." She looked at Ji, who remained silent as the scene between the two siblings were unfolding in front of him. He, too, had felt that something was going on with the boy.

"I feel as though something has been on your mind for weeks. What is it?" Lauren asked, brushing back Jayden's light hair with her hand. She used to do that a lot when they were little. He would curl up with his head in her lap and she would just card her fingers through his hair until he relaxed. Doing it now, she hoped he would trust her enough to tell her what was wrong. They were the only family each other had. She promised herself after her father died that she would protect and be there for Jayden always. Therefore knowing that something was troubling him was making her really worried.

Jayden exhaled. He knew that if he didn't tell Lauren what was on his mind she wouldn't let it drop. It was something that he had come to appreciate and detest over the years. "It's the attacks," he told her. "Aren't you the least bit worried about how often they are happening now? The moogers and the nighloks that are coming through, they are getting stronger each time. What if the time has come?"

Lauren didn't know that this was what was bothering him. She too had noticed the frequent attacks and what it all meant. She even talked to Ji about it, not wanting to worry her brother if it was just her imagination. She didn't know that the very thoughts that plagued her mind were the same that echoed in Jayden's. Lauren wanted to say something to assuage his worries, but before she could say anything a loud siren went off.

"The gap censor," Ji exclaimed. He ran to the map to see where the trouble was. "There's activity in the town center. Jayden, we must go!" He said urgently.

Jayden nodded his head in determination. "Ready when you are, Ji."

"Be careful, Jayden," Lauren said to him as he was heading out of the door.

"You got it, sis," Jayden replied back, giving a thumbs up. Lauren smiled at the gesture. It was such a simple one, but meant everything to the two of them.

The smile on Lauren's face lasted only up to seeing him and Ji heading out the door. That was when the worry and concern came back full swing.

'Just another average day in the Shiba household,' She said to herself sarcastically, as she made her way back to the study in an attempt to try to get some symbol practice in. If Jayden can do his job of protecting the world from moogers and nighloks while putting himself in danger, then she can do her job learning how to put them away for good.


	3. Chapter 2

**AN: So here is chapter 3. I am finally getting into the episodes. Yay! I will probably split the episodes up into multiple chapters so the chapters won't be that long. Please note that I really am just cranking these chapters out as I write them. I don't have a set writing plan, nor do I have a whole plot outlined. I am just going wherever my mind takes me. Most of the dialogue is taken from the episode "Origins: Part 1." This may be the best time to mention that if you recognize the dialogue then you know it isn't mine. As always, please leave reviews, even if it is to say that I am a horrible writer and should never write anything again. I appreciate the criticism and it will help me improve. I haven't exactly gotten any yet so I have no idea if this is bad or not. But I will keep pushing onwards regardless. :]**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Power Rangers. This is for fun, not money. Enjoy!**

Jayden and Ji got to the town center as fast as they could. They knew that any time wasted in reaching their destination would lead to disastrous consequences that neither of them wanted.

"Are you sure this was where the gap censor picked the signal?" Jayden asked as his eyes scanned the area. Things around here appeared to be normal, and there was no sign of moogers or nighloks. The only thing he saw were people going about their usual business, walking into buildings and the stores that lined the streets.

Ji observed the area along with Jayden. "Yes," he exclaimed. "This was where the disturbance was originating from. We must precede with caution. Maybe we should also extend our search."

Jayden nodded. "Good idea, Ji." The gap censor was never wrong. If it was picking up a disturbance, then there had to be one. "Okay," he said as the two of them started walking. "Let's investigate all the areas around here. Maybe something-" He was cut off by a scream.

Eyes widening, Ji pulled at Jayden's arm, hoping to lead him the in the direction of the scream. 'It sounded like a little child,' Ji thought in worry. 'I hope we get to them in time!'

They didn't need to go all that far. The pair found a little boy in an alleyway a little bit away from the main town center, on the ground surrounded by moogers.

"We need to help him," Ji stated, not taking his eyes off the boy.

Even as he said that, Jayden had already sprang into action. 'Protect the world from evil,' his father's voice rang out in his mind. He slipped his hand into his jean pocket and pulled out the very same lion folding zord his father had given to him thirteen years ago. It was a small comfort to know he always had a little bit of his father with him when he was saving the world. "You get the boy out of here as soon as you can, Ji. I'll take it from there," Jayden said fiercely to his mentor.

"Of course," the man replied back. Ji knew that the boy had been itching to hit something ever since he accidentally injured Lauren. He now had a bunch of moogers to vent out his frustration on and use as punch bags. Ji might have even felt sorry for them if they weren't evil monsters that needed to be destroyed for the sake of the world.

As per his usual style, Jayden sent the lion folding zord out of his hands to attack the moogers. Sparks flew as each blow hit them, making them fall to the ground. As soon as the last mooger had been hit, the lion zord flew back into his hand and returned into its resting state.

Ji rushed towards the boy while the moogers were preoccupied with Jayden. "Run," He exclaimed as he helped the boy get up from his position on the ground. "Get away from here."

The scared little boy didn't need any repeating. He ran away as fast as he could away from the scene, tripping a bit in his haste.

As Ji was ushering the boy away, he threw a mini smoke bomb towards the moogers that had gotten themselves off the ground. Once the smoke had cleared, Jayden was dressed in full Samurai red ranger mode. He was battle ready with his hand on the hilt of his sword

"Look before you, moogers," Ji proclaimed. "This is the eighteenth leader of the Samurai Power Rangers." Taking a step forward, he continued with his speech. "Descendant of the man who destroyed your master years ago."

The moogers took a large step back as they processed what Ji was saying. "You have two choices. Retreat now or become rust on his blade," He finished.

Jayden had reached into his belt and pulled out a black wheel with the Shiba family crest on it. "Don't bother," He called out to his mentor. "I don't want them to retreat." Placing the wheel through the hand of his sword, he pulled his sword out of it sheath and raised it firmly in front of him to intimidate his opponents.

'Never back down from a fight.' The words from the morning echoing again in his mind. This time though, Jayden had no qualms in listening and following that advice. That's because this time he wanted to inflict damage; this was no longer just practice and training. This time he wasn't facing his older sister who he would never hurt on purpose, but instead he was facing the enemy. Therefore, he vowed to show no mercy.

Using the techniques that he had been learning since he was a young child, he slashed through all the moogers without breaking a sweat. He was able to land most of his shots and block a majority of theirs. Jayden had pulled out another wheel during the fight, this time red, put it on the sword, and spun it around. This caused his weapon to alight in flames- the Shiba family element is after all fire- as he attacked. It didn't take long for the moogers to be defeated after that. They fell to the ground like dominos and exploded.

Turning away from the destroyed moogers, Jayden de-morphed as he walked towards Ji.

"Wonderful! I am so proud that the boy I devoted my life to train has grown to become a master samurai and is ready to lead others into battle."

At the beginning of Ji's speech, Jayden couldn't help but feel accomplished. Ji really did sacrifice a lot to train him and Lauren. More than that, he raised the two from such a young age. Both of them were orphans, but having Ji around made that fact less painful. He was like a father to Jayden, and Jayden knew that Lauren felt the same way. So hearing praise from his mentor made him feel really good. However, that feeling started to turn to dread as soon as he mentioned leading the others into battle.

Leading the team of other Samurai rangers terrified him to no end. He wasn't even supposed to be the actual leader, Lauren was. How could he ask the others to follow a pretender? He didn't tell anyone of his fear, nor did he ever want to, so he tried to play it cool. "But I am used to fighting alone," Jayden told the man who had pretty much raised him. "I don't want to put anyone else in danger."

"The nighlok attacks are escalating. You knew that in your gut for weeks now. Your conversation this morning in the kitchen proved that. More and more of them are coming across to do their evil. We cannot let that happen, Jayden." Ji explained.

"Sure. And if any more moogers pay us a visit, they will get a taste of my spin sword." Jayden tried to downplay the urgent need of calling on the other Samurai rangers. The longer he can wait it out, the longer their secret can be kept and things will stay the same. He knew that as soon as the team gets together, things will change. And he was not sure whether or not it will be in a good way. He turned away from Ji, hoping to put as much distance as he could from the topic at hand literally and figuratively.

Ji, however was having none of it. "Do not underestimate the power of Master Xandred if he awakens!" He exclaimed, exasperated with his usually compliant student. "His nighlok legions are too much for just one person. Even as one as strong as you."

He needed Jayden to see how dire the situation is getting. While Jayden or Lauren may not have confided in him their anxiousness of carrying out the plan their father set in motion the day he died, Ji just knew. Maybe it was the fact that he spent many years with the two Shiba siblings to know when something was bothering them. Oh how he wished there was something he could do to alleviate the responsibilities that they were burdened with. But alas, he couldn't. All he could do, as he had always done, was guide them and help them in any way he could.

Once he saw that Jayden had tilted his head to the side, he knew that his words were finally sinking in. "Teams of Samurai battled this evil for centuries and failed."

Turning fully around to face his mentor, Jayden asked in an insecure voice, "I'm really supposed to lead a team?"

If given the chance, Ji would have wrapped his arms around the boy and hide him away from the world. Actually, he would have hid both him and his sister. He would have told Jayden and Lauren that they didn't have to do anything that they didn't want to do. Unfortunately, the fates have spoken and all three of them were merely just their puppets, subjected to the cruel circumstances that now face them.

"It is what your training has prepared you for. You know that." Ji hoped that Jayden understood how much faith he had in him that he would succeed. "There are four others who have trained for these dark days, and they await the call to join you on your mission to fight as Samurai rangers."

Taking a deep breath, Jayden replied resolutely. "I understand. I'll do whatever it takes."

Those words filled Ji up with more pride than Jayden destroying the moogers a few minutes ago. That was the thing about his two students that always amazed them. They always put the needs and safety of others ahead of their own.

After coming to the decision of calling the other rangers into the fold, the two of them walked out of the alleyway and made their journey back to the Shiba home. There was a lot to do. The two men only hoped that Lauren would be able to be their voice of reason and make them feel better about what will happen next.


	4. Chapter 3

**AN: Woooh! We are now on chapter 4! I can't believe it. And boy did it get a bit longer than I anticipated. And to think I didn't really take too much from the episode. Which I guess is a good thing. I figured that Lauren deserved some focus as well. I mean, the story is called "Dual Samurais" for a reason. Any dialogue you recognize is not mine. Also, as a side note, if any of you ever watch the first episode of the season again, you will see that there is a lot of nodding going on. I kept thinking to myself as I saw Jayden and Ji interacting, "Why aren't you guys talking?" So this chapter may have a lot of nodding going on. Sorry about that. Regardless, I hope you like it. Please send me a review telling me what you like about the story or if you have any ideas for it. Ships, things you would like to see, anything really. Like I said, I am writing this as I go. Ergo, ideas are more than welcomed! If you want to tell me I am a sucky writer that is also okay! I just want some feedback y'all. Hope the new installment is to your liking. **

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Power Rangers. This is merely for fun, not money. Enjoy! **

While Jayden and Ji were out taking care of the moogers that had come through the gap, Lauren had gone back to the study to practice the sealing symbol. When, because there is no doubt in her mind that it will happen, Master Xandred awakens she will be needed. This is what she was training for. She couldn't let everybody down, especially her father. Knowing how much faith he had in both her and Jayden really made them work hard over the years to fulfill their roles.

Jayden already has the makings of a great Samurai ranger. Taking on all those moogers on his own for the past month. Lauren couldn't help but be proud of how mature her little brother has gotten. Of course, neither of them had the luxury to slack off, but Jayden's serious and determined behavior was something to aspire to. She knew that her brother would make an amazing leader when the time comes. She just hopes that his fellow teammates will follow him in battle even if the whole situation was unconventional. But more than that, she hopes that after all of this was over the both of them would be able to live normal lives.

'This whole stupid plan. I understand the need, but at what cost?' Lauren thought to herself. The two of them have given up so much already. The fact that there is a second Shiba child living and training at the home was only known to a handful of people. All of these people were sworn to secrecy. The seventeenth generation of Samurai rangers didn't even share this tidbit of information with their successors. The fate of the world rested with that secret, and Lauren had the responsibility to make sure it wasn't for naught. Therefore, Lauren pretty much only stayed on the Shiba property. It was too much of a risk to go out. At the end of all this, Lauren wants to go out of the gates and experience the world; travel to different places and experience new things. Hopefully good will prevail and the darkness will be sealed away forever.

That was why she made sure to practice her symbol power every day any time she gets. There are too many people counting on her to succeed, and god be damned if she didn't deliver.

"Come on," she said out loud in frustration as she grasped the paintbrush tightly in her hand. "Focus. You can do this, Lauren. You need to do this." She held out the brush in front of her and put the tip against the easel. Carefully, she moved her hand to draw out the precise strokes for the sealing symbol.

The thing is, without the strokes being drawn in the right order, the symbol would have no effect. Moreover, each symbol required a certain amount of energy that would flow from the person drawing it to each stroke the symbol was comprised of. The more powerful the symbol, the more energy it absorbs from its creator. That was why even after thirteen some years of practicing and training her mind and body to be able to make the sealing symbol, Lauren was still unable to give it the necessary power it needed to be permanent.

"Urghhh," she growled as she slammed her brush onto the easel. "Why won't this work!" Lauren raised her hands to massage her temple. She was starting to get a headache, and was feeling pretty nauseous. "Stupid sealing symbol. Stupid, stupid, stupid sealing symbol!" Knowing that she wasn't going to get any more practicing in right at this moment, Lauren left the study and walked back into the kitchen. The aspirin was located in the top right cabinet after all.

"Besides, maybe I should put some more ice on this bruise," she stated out loud rubbing gently on her injured arm. It was something she did whenever she was alone, talking out loud. Saying things aloud made her feel less lonely whenever Ji and Jayden were out and she was by herself. 'A big house like this shouldn't only have three people living here,' Lauren thought. 'It needs to be filled. Kinda can't wait to see little brown, floppy haired babies running around here.' A small smile broke out on her face at the picture of future, hypothetical nieces and nephews she drew up in her mind. 'With all that Jayden has sacrificed, he deserves to have the perfect normal life after all of this is over and done with. I swear I will make that happen!'

Once she walked into the kitchen she made her way over to the top right cabinet that was designated for medical supplies, and took an aspirin pill out of the bottle. She swallowed it dry, (at this point, she had gotten used to the feeling since headaches were a common side effect of practicing for so long and her nausea made drinking or eating anything right away horrible), and put the bottle back into the cabinet the way she found it. She did not want either Ji or Jayden to freak out yet again about how she was overdoing it. They would probably fuss about and tell her to take it easy for a while. However, with the current constant bombardment of attacks, Lauren knew that she needed to get her ass in gear.

Just as she was having these thoughts, she heard the front door open. Jayden and Ji were back. She rushed out of the kitchen and into the hall to get to them. However, when she reached the entry way, she only saw Ji.

"Ji? Where's Jayden? Did everything go alright? Was it a bad fight? Is Jayden hurt? What happened?" Rapid fire questions were flying out of her mouth towards her mentor. She needed to know that Jayden was okay. 'If anything happened to him, I would never forgive myself!'

Lauren's onslaught of questions should not have dazed Ji as much as it did. She always asked how things went whenever there was an attack. At this point he should be more prepared to handle a post-battle, side-lined Lauren.

Ji raised his hand in front of him to stop the worried girl's questions. "Lauren, everything is fine. The battle went the way it should, Jayden help saved a boy and defeated the moogers." At these words, Ji saw the same pride in Jayden he had mirrored in Lauren eyes for her little brother's victory. A slight frown came on his face when he realized that he had to tell her what the two of them had decided.

Noticing the change in Ji's face, anxiousness started building up in her stomach. "What's wrong then? Where is Jayden? I mean, he's fine right?"

"Jayden is fine," Ji was quick to say seeing the distraught look on Lauren's face. "Physically at least," he amended.

"What do you mean 'physically at least?'" Lauren asked with her eyebrows raised and a crease forming on her forehead.

Ji exhaled slowly. "The time has come, Lauren."

He saw her eyes blink once, then twice, and one more time for good measure. The moment Lauren realized what he was implying, her mouth opened to form a small "o". "You mean, to call on the other rangers?"

Lauren didn't need the clarification, but the firm nod that Ji gave her made it all the more real. "Okay," she started. "Where is Jayden then?"

"He's outside in the training yard," Ji answered.

"So basically he is being a brooding teenager?" She asked lightly, trying to add some humor to a very serious situation.

"When is he not?" That was what she loved the most about her mentor. Being around the two of them, he knew exactly how to act and what to say whenever they needed it. Lauren knew that they would have been utterly lost if not for the guidance of their mentor.

"I guess I should go and try to shake him out of it, huh?" She walked away towards the training without getting a reply back.

When Lauren reached the training yard, she saw him sitting on the stoop. The lion folding zord was in its active state moving around in his palm. 'This is going to be tough, I can already tell. Dad, wish you were here right now to help us.'

She took a deep breath before making her way to where he was sitting. Lauren didn't say anything as she approached him, but she knew by the stiffening of his back that he knew she was coming towards him. "Hey, little brother, can I sit?" She asked.

Jayden let out a slight laugh, "It's a free country. You can if you want to."

Lauren didn't say anything as she went to sit down. She knew from past experiences with Jayden and his moods that it is better to wait Jayden out than get him to talk before he was ready. Seeing how she couldn't leave the premises, she had all the time in the world. More than that, she would willingly wait however long she had to for anything that had to do with her little brother.

Thankfully, she didn't have to wait that long this time. "I guess Ji told you. About how it's time to call the others?"

Lauren nodded her head instead of giving a verbal acknowledgement. There would be plenty of time later for her to say what is on her mind, right now, though, it was Jayden's turn. He barely ever talked to anyone about his feelings, so when he did, she made sure she listened carefully. "Jayden, are you okay with that?"

She saw her brother exhale slowly. "It doesn't matter if I am okay with it or not. It is what it is. We have a plan, and it is our duty to make sure we follow it." Jayden looked down at the zord in his hand. Lauren followed his gaze and looked at it too.

The zord, noticing the girl, flew up from Jayden's hand and moved towards her. Lauren let out her hand so it had somewhere to land. All the while was aware that Jayden was observing everything that was going on.

"Looks like the zord knows who its real owner is." Jayden announced, a defeated look on his face.

Lauren wanted to yell at him, but she knew that it would not help matters. "The lion zord had been entrusted to the Shiba family for eighteen generations now. Is your last name not Shiba?" She asked despondent looking brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Well yes, but-"

"Then don't you think that the lion zord belongs to you as well?" Lauren plowed on, trying to get through to her brother.

"That may be true but-"

"But what, little brother? What can you possibly say that could change that?" She was pushing his buttons, Lauren knew that. However, it was necessary to do in order to get Jayden to see how dumb he was being.

"I am not the eldest Shiba, Lauren! You are!" Jayden shouted. She saw his body shaking with every exhale he took. "You are the oldest Shiba. You. Not me. The lion zord is yours."

She was about to answer him when the lion zord moved out of her hand and landed on Jayden's shoulder. He looked surprised by his outburst and the zord. Bringing his right hand out, it moved to sit on his palm again. Neither sibling said anything for a while, letting the silence drag on.

"You know, Jayden," Lauren finally said just as the silence was getting too uncomfortable for the pair. "Dad wouldn't have said the zord belongs to both of us if he didn't have faith that we would accomplish our roles in his plan."

"Do you really think so?" Jayden asked in a small voice. It was the same voice he used as a little boy whenever he got a nightmare and asked to sleep in her room with her.

"I do, Jayden. I really, and truly do." Lauren reached over and pulled him into a tight hug. Feeling his lanky arms wrap about her as well, she knew that he was feeling better about everything. 'He'll be okay,' she thought.

The siblings let go of each other with smiles on their faces. No more words were said. The conversation was over, but they knew that this issue would come up again many times. At the moment though, they were more than happy to let it pass and just watch the lion zord fly about. The silence that stretched between them this time was companionable in the only way it could be between siblings who only had each other to rely on.

It was Ji running out of the house that disrupted the peace between them. He had a quiver strapped onto his back filled with bows with the Shiba family crest on it, and a bow held tightly in his hand.

"Lauren, Jayden. Master Xandred must have awaken," he proclaimed with urgency. "A new breed of nighlok, more powerful than ordinary moogers have mobilized. We cannot wait any longer. The time has come to summon your team of Samurai rangers." He gaze directly on Jayden.

Lauren gasped. "Are you sure?" she asked their mentor. Things were about to change around here.

"Yes, Lauren. The time has finally come. The war against Master Xandred and his evil legion has officially begun once again," He told the pair.

Jayden got up from his sitting position and stood up straight. "Are you sure I am ready to lead?" Despite having just had this conversation with her, Lauren knew that he needed Ji to reinforce what she had said in order to believe that he could really do what was expected of him without messing up too badly.

"One Samurai is strong, but a team is unbeatable. Just remember your father's words as he left for his final battle." Ji told him.

Jayden closed his eyes. 'Protect the world from evil, stand by your allies, and never run from a fight.' He would never be able to forget those words. They were the last words their father ever said to them, saying them as he put all his faith in his two children. Jayden absolutely refused to let his father down. "You're right, Ji. I must not fail. I am the red ranger," he announced.

Ji nodded his head vigorously, glad that Jayden had finally accepted his destiny. He knew that talking to Lauren played no small part in his new resolve about the prospect of leading a team.

"The other rangers have spent their whole lives waiting to fulfill their Samurai destinies just like the two of you," He said to both Jayden and Lauren. "It is now time for both of you to fulfill yours."

Jayden and Lauren looked at each other, seeing that both of them were on the same page. They both then turned to Ji and gave him the okay.

Ji went into action right away. He reached his arm back over his shoulder and pulled out a green feathered arrow from his quiver. Crossing a good enough distance from the stoop and onto the training yard, he knocked the arrow into position and drew back the string as far as the bow would allow. Aiming the bow up and outwards, he released the arrow. It flew out of sight in a perfect arch to its target. Taking the yellow, blue, and pink arrows from the quiver one by one, he sent them off to their intended destinations as well.

As soon as that was done, Ji went back into the house, leaving Lauren and Jayden alone. There was so many things that Lauren wanted to say to her brother, but the words just seemed stuck in her mouth. 'Why is it whenever I want to say something, it is physically impossible for me to?' She cursed to herself.

Ji came back out not even a minute later with a crate in his arms. Opening the latch, Jayden saw five Samuraizers.

'Woah,' Lauren thought as Jayden gathered them all and placed them into his red satchel. 'This is really happening.'

"I'm ready to lead," Jayden proclaimed with fierce determination as he looked at his mentor and older sister.

"You got this, Jayden," Lauren said when she finally was able to say anything. And at that moment, she really did believe it too.

Seeing the upward tilt of his older sister's mouth sent a warm bubbling feeling throughout his body. She believed in him, and that is all that mattered. If she thought he could do it, then Jayden had nothing to worry about. "Thanks, sis."

Pulling out his own samuraizer, he flipped it open. "Symbol power!" He called out. He then proceeded to draw out neat strokes for a horse, the symbol displayed red bright in front of him. As soon as he was done drawing it, he pushed it out away from him with his samuraizer.

A majestic, white mare magically appeared in the training yard, waiting by the gate. Jayden went over to it, and got up on the red saddle it materialized with. As he was getting comfortable on the horse, Lauren couldn't help but laugh at her brother's choice of transportation. Not only did she realize he was making a grand entrance, she also noticed how much he resembled a heroic knight on a quest. 'Well, thinking about it, that is what he is. His poor future princess though. She will have her work cut out for her.'

"Never forget the mission of the Samurai ranger," Ji reminded him just before Jayden left, and breaking Lauren's random thought. "Be brave, work together, and no matter what, don't ever give up."

Jayden took the reins and maneuvered the horse towards the exit. As he was leaving, he turned his torso around and raised his hand with his thumb up so Lauren could see.

The "thumbs up" gesture had been one that they used a lot to let the other know they were okay. It all started back when they were younger. Neither of the Shiba siblings were good with talking about their feelings. Jayden with bottle it up and it took Lauren a while to convey what she was feeling accurately. Using the thumbs up was a way for both of them to bypass their incompetence in displaying their feeling with each other. No words needed. It was part of their own special language.

Lauren heard Jayden call out "Samurai forever" as he went back to the right position and rode away. Doubt suddenly filled her once she was no longer able to hear the echoing hooves of her brother's horse. "Everything will work out, right Ji?" Lauren asked the man beside her. She wanted reassurance that things will in fact be okay.

"I sure hope so, Lauren," Ji replied back, still looking towards the gate even though Jayden and the horse had long since left. "I sure hope so."


	5. Chapter 4

**AN: Guys, this is Chapter 5. I am so happy about it, even though this chapter just seemed so difficult to write and seems kind of blahh. My happiness in this chapter is due to the fact that it means I beat my personal record for the amount of chapters I post for one of my multi-chaptered stories before writer's block kicks in. If you look at my profile, you will find that the most chapters I ever posted for anything was four. So yay me! **

**Like I said this chapter was difficult to crank out. I really detest writing battle scenes because it's just to erghh. So please tell me how you guys would feel if I skipped over most of it from now on? Like if it is important I'll just allude to it? Yay or nay? Also, did the group ever introduce themselves to Jayden when they met him? Because if they did, I totally missed it and just added it where I thought it was necessary. Also, I am really curious as to what ships you guys would like to see in this story and why. I won't promise that you will see it, but I would love to read your opinions! Also, I don't understand the hate PRS and PRSS get. I mean taken on its own, it wasn't so bad. Considering it was the first season after the Saban re-takeover, it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be. Or maybe that is just me. Oh well. **

**As always, reviews help me and are very much appreciated, even negative ones. It just shows that people are actually taking the time to read something I wrote, and that makes me want to write more. Sorry about the long author's note. Whoops! Anyways, onwards to the story!**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Power Rangers. This is merely for fun, not money. Enjoy!**

"Come on," Jayden said under his breath, trying to make his horse go faster. "The rest of the Samurai rangers must have already gotten their summons."

He couldn't help but wonder what they would be like. Would they be willing join him in trying to destroy Master Xandred and his legions of evil? Would they still think of him as a leader once they figure out about Lauren? There are so many different ways this whole thing could go so badly. 'There is no turning back now. You must fulfill your destiny,' he thought to himself. Maybe if he repeated that to himself enough times, he would start to believe it.

Arriving near where the attacks were going on, he saw a group of four teens conjugated by a black van. Two of them were boys, while the other two were girls. One boy was wearing a sky blue colored hoodie and black track pants, while the other was wearing a dark green jacket and jeans. From what he can see from the girls, one had curly blond hair, while the other had straight dark hair. They appeared to be conversing about something or another, and Jayden knew that he could no longer put this off.

'Okay, Jayden. You got this.' With that last bit of internal encouragement, Jayden led the horse to where the group was. The horse gave a loud 'neigh' while lifting its front legs up. Giving another 'neigh', the horse stopped right in front of them. Seeing their shocked and dazed faces, he knew that he had their attention. Which was what he was going for when he decided his form of transportation. He needed something that would make him stand out enough to make a lasting first impression. Sure Jayden had absolutely no clue what he was doing and making it up as he went along, but he didn't need his new potential teammates to be privy to that information.

"With an entrance like that, you have to be the red ranger," the boy in the green jacket said, eyeing him on top of the white horse.

'Mission accomplished,' Jayden thought to himself in triumph. Out loud he said, "Yes," Jayden said. "My name is Jayden. I am the red ranger."

"We're your team of Samurai," the boy in the sky blue hoodie and black track pants stated. "I'm Kevin," he introduced himself.

"Mike," the boy in the green jacket who had first spoken to him said as he pointed to himself.

"Emily," said the girl with the curly blond hair, waving her hand.

"Mia," the last girl with the dark hair said with a smile.

Jayden looked down at them all from his position on his horse. The group didn't seem all that bad at first glance. According to Ji, they had been training and preparing to fight Master Xandred just as long as he and Lauren had. Besides, they all had dropped whatever they were doing, and came when they were summoned. That at least proved that they knew what their responsibilities were.

"Let me warn you now," Jayden said slowly. "If you follow me there is no turning back. Either we defeat the nighlok together, or they will take over the world. I will give these," he raised his hand so that their gaze were landed on his samuraizer, "to those who are ready to accept the challenge." As he said this, he climbed off his horse. "Please do not accept because you were trained to do so. Accept only, and only if, you are ready to commit and fight as Samurai power rangers with all your heart."

They were about to risk everything and put their lives in each other's hands. This situation was not something to take lightly. Jayden wanted it to be their choice to fight because they wanted to, not because they were forced to. He was giving them a way out because neither he nor Lauren were given one themselves. Not to say that either of them would have taken it, but it would have been nice to be given a choice in the matter. It was because of this want that Jayden decided to leave out the part about Lauren for now. Besides, if one of them decided to just drop and leave at this moment, at least that person wouldn't be taking such an important secret with them.

Jayden saw Kevin scrunch up his navy swim cap in his fist. "Without hesitation," he said.

Mia gave a firm nod. "I've been planning for this since I was a little girl. So yes."

"I'm ready to give it all I got," Emily replied fiercely right after her.

"Okay, okay, do we have to be so formal? Let's do this thing," Mike was the last to answer, but it didn't matter. He was on board.

'They all are. They are willing to follow me into battle. Trust my allies indeed,' Jayden didn't think that he would be as surprised as he was in knowing that these people would want to join him, but he was. That same bubbly feeling that he left the Shiba house with returned full forced.

Jayden went back to the horse and reached into the red satchel. He pulled out the other four samuraizers that he placed in there. He then proceeded to toss each one by one to the members of the group. First to Kevin, then to Emily, next to Mike, and lastly to Mia.

"Let's go," he announced to his new teammates, leading the newly assembled Samurai ranger team to where Ji had said the nighlok and moogers were attacking. "We have a world to save."

When they arrived to where the attack was taking place, Jayden took in the damage that was being done. People were running around trying to make their escape far away from the nighlok and all the moogers. Jayden's eyes widened at the amount of moogers around. There were more moogers gathered than he had ever seen at one time. 'It's a good thing I have a team now. We will be able to defeat them all together.'

"That's enough," Jayden called out to the head nighlok in charge, who seemed to be having fun terrorizing the poor man who had tumbled down the concrete steps of the pavilion. By getting the nighlok's attention, the man was able to run away without any more harm being done to him.

"Well, it's about time, Red Ranger," the nighlok taunted directly at him. It didn't even seem to realize that there were four other people with him. When that the nighlok did register its new guests, he was confused. "Oh come on, who are you punks?"

"We are the Samurai rangers," Jayden proclaimed. Flipping open his samuraizer he said, "Samuraizer. Go, go Samurai!" He saw and heard his teammates echo his actions and shouted out the same battle call. However, each of them used their own family symbol power to morph into their respective colors.

"Rangers together, Samurai forever!" They all shouted out, their spin swords at the ready.

The nighlok apparently was unimpressed by the group. He called forth the moogers that had come with him. "Moogers, get them!" Following its command, the moogers ran towards the rangers hoping to defect them. However, the rangers were indeed better trained than they expected them to be.

Jayden, himself, was impressed with the skill each of his new team members possessed. Each of them had their own fighting style and were able to hold off their own against the multiple moogers that were attacking them. Throughout the battle, they even seemed to subconsciously keep in mind how each member was doing. That way if anyone needed the assistance, they would be able to provide it. Sure they needed some guidance now and then, like how to power up their weapons to make them stronger, but they picked it up quickly.

Together they were able to destroy the moogers and the nighlok. However, the nighlok regenerated and grew larger than anything Jayden had ever seen before.

"Look at the size of him!" Mike exclaimed, tilting his head up at the now enlarged nighlok. The nighlok moved his foot in the hopes to squish them like bugs, but they were able to dodge quickly out of the way.

They ended up tumbling onto the ground. "How are we supposed to fight him now?" Mia cried, as she, Emily, Mike, and Kevin struggled to get up.

Kevin was the first one to get back on his feet, new found determination making him stand taller than before. "Guys, we can fight this nighlok," he told them resolutely. "Remember your training, we all have our own folding zords." He took out his folding zord and placed it into his palm, showing it to the others. "If we each use our symbol power, we can morph into mega mode."

"Cool!" Mike stated. Mia and Emily agreed with the sentiment. The three of them went to take out their own folding zords as well.

It was starting to become very clear to Jayden that Kevin would make a good second in command if the situation ever calls for it. The boy kept a level head during duress and helped alleviate the rest of the team's anxiousness. Jayden was thankful for that, but he needed to reassert himself as team leader without bringing the blue ranger down.

"You're right, Kevin. Follow my lead. Lion folding zord, mega mode power!" Everyone else copied his actions. They all felt their power increase as they were able to control their zords. In little time at all, they were able to defeat the nighlok together once and for all.

"Samurai rangers, victory is ours. That'll teach them to mess with us." Jayden said. Seeing as the fight was over, the rangers de-morphed. "Come on, guys. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Mia asked Jayden.

He broke into a large smile, but didn't answer her question. Instead he started walking away. 'Wonder if they will be curious enough to follow,' Jayden smirked.

Even though he couldn't see because his back was to them, Emily, Kevin, Mia, and Mike just looked at each other for a moment. After a silent conversation of just raised eyebrows and shrugs, they made their decision. "Wait up, dude! We're coming with you." Mike called out. That made brought a massive smile to Jayden's face.

It was mostly quiet as they started to make their way to their destination. Jayden knew it was killing them not knowing where they were going, as proved by the constant looks he was getting from his teammates in turn. Deciding to put them out of their misery, Jayden explained, "We are heading to my home. That is where you all will stay and train until Master Xandred is defeated."

"Of course, that makes sense." Kevin replied, seeing understanding on everyone else's face.

Jayden stopped walking to look at them. "That is okay with you guys right?" He asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Absolutely."

"Like I said, it would make the most sense."

He felt better hearing the Mike, Emily, and Kevin's responses. However, a frown came on his face when he realized that Mia hadn't said anything yet.

"Mia?" Jayden asked her. She seemed a bit lost in thought.

Startled, she gave her delayed reply. "Oh, right, sorry about that. Yeah that is totally fine with me too. Besides it would be better for us all to be one place when an attack comes," she said touching Jayden's arm in reassurance and then letting go. Nodding his head, they started walking towards the Shiba house again.

The rest of the way there, Jayden eyes went to the spot where she had momentarily touched him and then to her. A small smile was on her face as she walked alongside Emily and Kevin. The three of them were just talking about random things, with Mike interjecting every so often from in front of them. He was just a few feet away at the back, hoping to observe the way they interacted with each other a bit more. Now though, he suddenly wanted to be part of the conversations going on around him.

His eyes scrunched up in confusion at the new feelings welling up around him. So preoccupied in his own musings, he didn't even realize that they had reached the house and were already to the gate.

"What a rush. We did good," Emily said as they all walked into the Shiba property.

"Piece of cake," Mike said as he lightly nudged her with his arm.

Seeing the huge smiles on his team's faces made Jayden happy as well. "We could have never done it without each other," he reminded them all.

Mia and Kevin nodded their heads. "Thank you for leading us into battle," Kevin told him.

"Bravo. Such energy. Such grace," Ji's voice called out to them. Jayden saw Ji making his way out towards them.

"Who is that?" Mike asked in confusion.

Jayden moved forward and looked at Ji with a big smile. "This is Ji, our mentor."

"Welcome to your new home. You all come from different places and families, but share one noble goal. I am very proud of how you all came together," Ji said.

"We just followed some great advice and worked as a team," Jayden told him, eyes brightening.

"Yes, but you are not just any team," Ji reminded them. "You are the Samurai rangers!"

Jayden looked around and saw the happy and accomplished looks on his teammates' faces. They each reached into their pockets and pulled out their folding zords. "Rangers together, Samurai forever!" They all cried in unison, raising their resting folding zords above their heads.

Laughs and cheers were heard all around. Jayden almost got swept in away in relishing their victory that he forgot that both he and Ji had one more thing to explain to the other rangers.

"Guys," Jayden started to say. He fidgeted a bit, trying to find the right words to say. "I am really glad you all were willing to follow me in battle today. However, I forgot to mention something very important."

"What is it?" Kevin asked curiously. "You can trust us." The rest of the team nodded their heads and looked at him expectantly.

'How do I tell them? Will they really be okay with it?' Jayden worried to himself. He opened his mouth to say something, but the choice on how to break the news was taken out of his hands.

"Me."

Jayden turned his head from the group and towards the voice that had just spoken. He didn't notice when exactly Lauren had come out of the house, but there she was standing on the stoop. She didn't make her way to them, putting a safe distance between them and her. She was shifting her weight from foot to foot, fidgeting with her hands. It was clear to Jayden that she was uncertain as to her place on the newly formed team, and wondered if she would even be welcomed in the first place. Seeing her look so lost, he swore that he would make sure to change that as soon as he possibly could. He hated to see his usually confident older sister look so unsure of herself. Lauren was the most important person in his life, and nothing or anyone would ever change that.

Seeing the looks of confusion on the others' faces, Jayden took a deep breath. "This is my sister, my older sister, Lauren."

Kevin, Mike, Mia, and Emily's mouths dropped open as they processed what he told them.

"Wait what?" Mike exclaimed.

"How is that possible?" Kevin asked shocked.

"If she is your older sister then that means…" Mia started to say but trailed off.

Emily didn't say anything, but it was obvious that she was just as surprised as the rest of them.

Jayden didn't know how to answer them. They didn't seem betrayed at the fact that Jayden didn't share this information with them sooner. It appeared that the emotion winning out at the moment was surprise.

"How about we go inside?" He saw Lauren and Ji exchange looks before beckoning them all inside. "It's complicated," she stated.

'Understatement of the century, sis,' Jayden scoffed. He saw his bewildered teammates file into the house following after Ji. Lauren, however, was waiting for him.

"Come on," he said to her, putting his arm around her shoulder and guiding her inside. Seeing the apprehensive look still on her face, he started to get a bit worried. "You good, Lauren?" Jayden asked her.

Lauren tried to give Jayden a reassuring smile, but she definitely failed. "Lauren?" he asked again.

Jayden felt his sister take a deep breath in and out at his side. He was about to say something when he saw a shaking hand lift up a thumb. That was a good enough answer to his question.


	6. Chapter 5

**AN: Chapter 6 is finally here. I know it's been a long time since I last updated. Real life just kinda took over for a while, and now I finally had the time to write this chapter out. Also, I wanted to take a step back and see the best way to write out this story so I can actually complete it. I think I've decided to focus more on the interaction between everyone in the team rather than the actual fighting part. Unless of course, when I need to. I will still be taking some dialogue from the show in order to structure my chapters. Again, if you notice the dialogue, then you know it isn't mine. **

**Thank you for the people who have read and followed my story. I really appreciate it. As always, reviews are my lifesblood and I would appreciate getting some feedback. Even if it is to tell me I suck. I would love to hear whatever opinions you may have with the story or whatever you want. Please review if you are going to favorite and follow. I loe seeing reviews! Anyways, hope you like the latest chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: As always, I do not own Power Rangers. This is purely for fun, not money. Enjoy!**

"Okay, could someone please start explaining soon? Like what's with the secret sibling?" Mike said looking at Jayden, Ji, and Lauren, hoping that someone would break the long standing silence. The entire team was led into the common room by Ji, and were now occupying the couches. They all still had looks of confusion on their faces, but the new green ranger was the first one to comment on the situation since they found out about it.

Lauren couldn't help but admire the guy's attitude. She had a feeling that someone like Mike, whose humor and lightheartedness seemed boundless, would be good to have around when things at the house got too serious. He would probably be the one to make sure the team didn't take itself too seriously that they forgot how to live.

"This is Lauren," Jayden finally announced to his new teammates. "Like I said, she is my older sister."

"If she is your older sister, then why isn't she fighting with us as the Samurai red ranger?" Kevin asked.

Lauren saw Jayden and Ji exchange looks. Ji then took over. "Last time when Master Xandred had surfaced, the Samurai rangers did everything they could to defeat him. However, he was too strong. They all poured over books and scrolls to find something that would give them an advantage. After months of researching, they found what they were looking for. It was a sealing symbol so powerful that it would stop Master Xandred and his legions once and for all. The only stipulation it had was that it must be performed by the red ranger of the Shiba family."

Ji's story held the attention of the other rangers. They took in every word. Lauren could help the upward tilt of her lips. Ji had always been the best story teller. There was just something in his voice that made every story more interesting than it usually was. However, this current story had details that were important for the team to know. So it was no surprised how eagerly the other rangers were listening.

"Lauren and Jayden's father, James, practiced long and hard to get the sealing symbol correct. However, it was very powerful and very difficult to get right." Ji continued. "He wasn't sure he would be able to learn it in time, so he came up with a plan. If he failed to properly cast the sealing symbol the responsibility would go to his oldest child, who is Lauren. However, he knew that meant that nighloks would go after her and try to make sure that the sealing symbol would never be used. So he decided to use a decoy."

"Meaning Jayden, right?" Mia asked, sparing a look to the guy in question before turning back to Ji.

"That's right." Ji said.

"Ever since our dad sacrificed himself to keep Master Xandred and his army away, Jayden and I have been preparing ourselves for our roles in this war." Lauren told them. "I have been practicing the sealing symbol, and Jayden has been training to lead a team- your team."

"So that means he will be the one leading us into battle until you finally accomplish casting the sealing symbol to defeat Master Xandred for good." Emily didn't pose it as a question, she already knew the answer.

"Yes, that is if you guys will be willing to follow me regardless of knowing that I am not really meant to be your leader." Jayden stated.

Lauren rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Shut up, Jayden," she said to him in annoyance. Addressing the rest of the rangers she said, "Out in the field, as far as the nighloks and Master Xandred know, Jayden is your leader. You listen to him. I am here to help in any way I can, so sometimes I will give my input too. So just think of us as co-leaders. Is that okay with you guys?"

Waiting in bated breath for a response from the team, Lauren spared a look to Jayden. He seemed to also be looking at her. She knew that the same thoughts that she was thinking about were going through his head as well. If the other Samurai rangers couldn't accept the unconventional way the team would be led, there were be no team to lead.

After what felt like forever, the other rangers finally seemed to come to some unanimous decision.

"I want Master Xandred to be defeated once and for all, and I will do anything and everything I can to make sure that happens. I am ready to follow the both of you." Emily announced.

"Like I said when I took the samuraizer from you, I've been preparing for this since I was a little girl. I am not going to turn my back on this team just because it will be running a bit differently." Mia said after her.

"A Samurai never turns his or her back on responsibility. I'm with you as well." Kevin said, nodding to both Jayden and Lauren.

"Of course I am ready to follow whoever. Just as long as we kick some nighlok butt!" Mike responded last. "Besides, we are a team now."

"Now that is all settled, I can show you to your rooms and give you an official tour of the house." Ji said, less pensive than before now that everyone was on the same page.

All their words warmed Lauren's heart. Everything will be fine, sure she and Jayden would have to learn to navigate these new waters. But now she knows that things will work out.

The next day though, things already got a bit complicated. Mike had seemed to need a bit more practice with his symbol power, and Emily had left the Shiba property to go train by herself. A nighlok had come through and tried to cause havoc, and almost succeeded. But luckily, the rangers were able to pull together and create a megazord to defeat the nighlok. While everyone was celebrating the win and Mike's new symbol knowledge, it was obvious that things were still a bit off with the yellow ranger.

Lauren knew that if problems were left alone and not dealt with right away, they would just fester and cause more damage. Which was why she made her way to Emily and Mia's room to talk to Emily. She figured that it might be good for her to talk to someone who understood her predicament. Once Lauren got to the door she knocked. Hearing a voice say "Come in," she opened the door.

It was amazing how quick the room started to accumulate personality. Clothes were being put away in the drawers, photo frames were being placed on bedside tables, shoes and other things being put away in the closet. Lauren took a moment to appreciate how for the first time in a long time the Shiba house didn't feel so empty.

"Hey Mia," Lauren stated as she walked into the room the yellow and pink ranger shared. "Can I talk to Emily alone for a minute?"

"Of course. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me." Mia said, as she got off her bed and made her way towards the door. The girl gave her friend a reassuring smile before walking out of the room, and closing the door behind her.

Emily tried to sit still on her own bed, hoping to give the impression that she was okay. However, she fidgeted with her hands, her knees were bouncing sporadically, and she was breathing shallowly waiting in anticipation.

Lauren didn't mean to cause her so much distress. She had just wanted to talk to Emily. Lauren couldn't help but see the similarities between the blond haired girl and herself. She saw how Emily felt completely unsure about herself and nervous that she would mess up. It was obvious that she also felt afraid that if she did mess up, it could potentially cause someone harm. The incident today with the nighlok where she accidentally hurt Jayden while trying to fight the nighlok didn't help her. Lauren could tell it really shook her up. The yellow ranger's already low self-confidence took a mighty hit today, and made her doubt if she could really live up to the Samurai destiny that really wasn't hers to begin with. Emily was doing all this for her older sister, and she was trying to make her sister proud.

Regardless of the similarities she saw in Emily to herself, Lauren had to recant her original assessment on her. If there was anyone else in the house that could relate to Emily, it would be Jayden. Both had destinies trusted upon them because of their older siblings. Emily took Serena's place because she was sick, and Jayden had to be a decoy in order for Lauren to learn the Shiba family sealing symbol. It wasn't fair to either of them. They both should have had the chance to have regular lives. Instead, here they were, choosing to take up the mantle and save the world from Master Xandred. Their choice should be acknowledged for how brave and amazing it actually is.

Lauren went towards the bed and sat down on it next to Emily. Emily didn't say anything, she was just looking at Lauren waiting for her to say something.

"I noticed you were pretty quiet after Mike's impromptu dance party and during dinner. Is something wrong?" Lauren finally asked after the long moment of silence.

Emily sighed. "It's nothing."

The older Shiba sibling frowned. "It's obviously something. You still seem upset."

"I guess I am still just thinking about the fight today is all," Emily admitted. "I almost messed everything up."

"But you didn't," Lauren interrupted. "I was there with everyone else when they said that everything was okay. Why is it still bothering you?"

"I get that everyone said it was okay, that we beat the nighlok so it didn't matter. But what if next time it did? What if the next time I make a mistake, it costs us?" Emily said.

"Emily, you need to listen to me. You can sit here thinking about what ifs and about the future. But that never helps anyone, and it certainly won't help you. The best thing you can do is keep moving forward. We got a victory today, and we stopped Master Xandred from coming through another day. We should be celebrating the small victories, because those small victories become big ones. Okay?" Lauren said slowly, taking Emily's hand in hers.

"I know that in my heart, but I just can't seem to turn off the voice in my head telling me that I am going to fail and let everybody down." Emily tilted her head down to look at the floor after she told Lauren this, hoping to avoid her gaze.

Lauren, on the other hand, just stared at her. She could not believe that this is what Emily thought. "Emily, don't you realize how amazing you are?"

Emily's head snapped up in surprise. It was obvious that she did not expect to hear those words directed towards her.

Seeing that she had her attention, Lauren continued. "Don't you understand? When your sister got sick, you didn't have to take over for her. You could have just let the ranger team be short one ranger. Instead, you chose to undertake the responsibility, foregoing a normal life, in order to protect and save innocent lives. Not many people would, but you did without any hesitation. You give your full one hundred percent in being a Samurai ranger, and it shows. Missteps and mishaps will happen to everyone, but with everything else, it will become a lesson on what not to do. No one is perfect, Emily. No one."

It appeared as though the words she was saying was finally getting through to the young girl. A small smile appeared on Emily's face. "I guess you must give this speech a lot, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Lauren asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Jayden. He probably doubts himself a lot too."

Lauren let out a laugh. "You have no idea. At least your head isn't as thick as his is. My speech usually takes a lot longer to sink in with him than it did with you." This time it was Emily that giggled. "In all seriousness, though, what Mia said before is most likely true. I think your sister would be really proud of you." Lauren finished.

"Thank you," Emily said, smiling wide with eyes shining.

"Well, I guess I will leave you now. I'll send Mia back." Lauren said as she got up from the bed and left the room.

Making her way towards the kitchen to find Mia, Lauren started to think about her conversation with Emily. It made Lauren happy to know that she was able to get the girl to go back to her usual bubbly self. Emily was no longer anxious and upset. The giant weight was finally off her shoulders. However, Lauren knew from experience that this would not be the last time doubts would come. She also knew that it wouldn't just be the yellow ranger experiencing it. She just hoped that when the time comes, she would be able to put aside her own, and help the team. She may not be leading the team, but she was beginning to think about them as hers. Well, hers and Jayden's- their makeshift family.

As she approached the kitchen, Lauren saw that Mia was in there talking with Jayden. It wasn't a big deal that they were there together. It was just the fact that Lauren knew that Jayden wasn't much of a social butterfly. Heck, neither of them were. They spent almost every waking moment in the Shiba house. Jayden had the luxury to go out, but he rarely took it. It was because that fact that he didn't have many friends. There was one friend when he was younger, but the boy had moved away many years ago. So the only people Jayden really opened up to were Lauren and Ji. Therefore, seeing him talk to the Samurai pink ranger was a bit shocking.

Lauren wanted to observe the interaction so she stayed outside the doorway, hidden in the shadows. She knew that it was rude and creepy to spy on people, but hey this was Jayden. That meant older sister privileges could be applied in this situation.

She saw that they were physically close, both sitting on the stools at the island table. Lauren couldn't make out what they were talking about it, but both were attentive while each other was speaking. Mia appeared to be a physical talker when she was really into a subject, that much was obvious with her wild gesturing. It was a stark contrast to her usual stoic self when she trained. Jayden, on the other hand, seemed to look dazed. He hung on to everything she was saying like it held the secrets to the universe. Lauren had never seen Jayden so into conversation before. In the few minutes she had been observing the pair, she saw her little brother come more out of his shell than he ever had with anyone else. It was shocking to see, but sort of expected. Mia and Emily were the first girls Jayden had actually really ever talked to post puberty. If he didn't develop of crush on one of them, she would have been concerned. Well, not concerned per say, because there was always the chance of Jayden liking boys instead. As far as Lauren was concerned, spending time with the team might actually help him figure himself out. In the sense of his own identity that wasn't about Samurai training.

Lauren didn't want to break whatever it was that was happening, but at this point it had been a few minutes since Lauren left the girls' room. Emily might come out of her room to look for Mia herself, and Lauren felt that Jayden would probably feel more comfortable if it was her that interrupted instead of Emily.

"Hey, Mia, I finished talking to Emily. You can go back to your room. Sorry for kicking you out." Lauren said as she nosily made her way into the kitchen in order to give them time to realize someone was going to barge in on their time together. She saw Jayden stumble a bit on the stool, putting up his metaphorical walls again.

"Oh, thanks Lauren. Did your talk with Emily go well?" Mia asked in concern as she hopped off the stool.

Lauren nodded. "Yeah, all is good."

"Thank god," Mia said. "Well, it's getting late, I'll just head back now. Goodnight Lauren, goodnight Jayden."

"Goodnight," the two siblings replied back to her with a smile, as they watched her leave.

Lauren waited until she heard Mia's footsteps fade away before turning to Jayden. She lifted her eyebrow at him.

"What?" Jayden said squirming in his seat, not liking the look on his older sister's face.

"Oh nothing, little brother. Nothing at all." Lauren smirked.

She knew that smirking at him without telling him why would irritate him. Older sister privileges also entitles her with the right to tease him mercilessly for any potential crushes he may have. And after giving him a once over, she could see it clear as day even with his emotional walls back up.

"Lauren, stop being a jerk and just tell me what you are smirking about." Jayden said, annoyed.

"You like Mia!" Lauren teased.

This time, Jayden completely slide out of his seat. She laughed as he got his feet, trying to recover from the embarrassment from both what she said and how he just reacted. "Wha- I don't- why would you- No I don't!" Jayden sputtered.

"Yes you do. It's obvious." Lauren said.

"She is my teammate. Nothing more, nothing less."

Lauren rolled her eyes. "Of course she is your teammate. But are you seriously going to tell me that you don't like her when you had a conversation with her that lasted longer than most of the conversations we've had together? Really?"

Jayden opened his mouth to say something, but it seemed as though he channeled her for once. Words were not coming to him. He closed his mouth, opened them again, and closed it one last time. The entire progression made Lauren want to laugh some more, but she realized that she needed to tread carefully about this right now. This was the first time something like this happened to Jayden, and she needed to make sure he realized that these feelings, whatever they may be, are okay to have.

"Look, little brother, with the close proximity you will have with each other, it's only natural that feelings like this would occur." Lauren started to explain. However, Jayden interrupted her before she could say anything more.

"Lauren, I don't know what you think you saw or what you think you know, but you are wrong okay. I don't like Mia. She is nothing but my teammate. She was just alone here waiting for you to be done with Emily, when I walked by. I decided to give her company to pass time, that's it. Okay?" Jayden said adamantly.

'Denial is not just a river in Egypt,' Lauren thought. "Okay, Jayden," she sighed. "But can I say something?" When he nodded, she continued. "If feelings were to develop," seeing that he was going to interrupt her again, Lauren held out her hand to stop him. "Whether it be Mia or someone else, let it happen Jayden. Don't be a self-sacrificing idiot, feel it and make a move. Don't block your feelings, whatever they may end up being."

"Lauren," Jayden started saying shaking his head.

"No, Jayden. Promise me. Right now." Lauren said.

"Okay, okay, I promise. Okay, Lauren?" Jayden replied because he knew that she wouldn't drop it.

Lauren nodded her head. "Yes. Now it's time for bed. Goodnight, little brother." She said as she went to hug him.

"Goodnight Lauren," Jayden replied back, voice muffled by her shoulder.

Letting go, she patted him on the cheek and made her way out of the kitchen. As she made it out of the doorway, she turned back to look at him. Lauren saw that he was deep in thought, probably trying to come up with explanations that would explain his actions regarding his conversation Mia tonight. The seed must already have taken root. Lauren hoped it will grow and be actualized by both of them. With all the bad that they will all face in the upcoming days, something good coming out of it all would make it all worth it. She knew that things were going to change when the rest of the Samurai rangers were called. But if those meant that her little brother would finally have something to be truly happy about, then it would all be well worth it in the end.


	7. Chapter 6

**AN: Yay, Chapter 7 is up! It got pretty long. I guess I kind of just wanted to really delve into how Jayden is taking being a leader. How exactly does being cooped up at the Shiba home with just Ji and Lauren impact his social skills? What are his thoughts and feelings about the things going on and the new people around him? Yeah, mostly just my own meta mixed in with some episode stuff. Hence why the chapter got longer than I expected.**

**I also want to take this time to thank everyone for the reviews and PMs that I have gotten. I really appreciate them. Please keep them coming! For those of you who may be wondering, this chapter has dialogue from episode 3, called "Team United" I think. I feel like I should apologize beforehand from now on about the typos and grammatical errors this, and every other chapter I write, may have. So really sorry about that. I will do my best to catch them before I post each chapter, but I cannot promise that I would be able to get them all. Anyways, happy reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Power Rangers. This is made for fun, not money. Enjoy! **

"The life of the Samurai must be one of discipline, and order. Samurais must constantly improve their skills to ready themselves for battle." Ji stated to everyone, watching the training session from the sidelines with Jayden.

Despite the slight whines coming from the other rangers for having to wake up so early, each of them were ready and accounted for in the training yard when time came for their training session to begin. It was good to know that all of them took their Samurai responsibility seriously, and did not skip the session.

On one side of the training yard, Emily and Mia were sparring. While on the other, Mike was facing Kevin. The training session was going fine and well, the echoes of four different kendo sticks hitting each other filled the air. It was quite different from the usual sounds of two kendo sticks clanging together. Jayden could not help but like how the four sounded better than two.

The thing that really surprised Jayden though, was that for the first time in the longest time, Lauren was practicing the sealing symbol in front of other people outside. When it was just Ji, her, and Jayden, she went to the study to practice. She had come to the conclusion that it would be safer for everyone involved if she practiced it alone in a secluded area. Which was exactly what she told the rest of the group when Ji called them all out to train outside, and she made to move to the study. However, Mike did not let her off the hook so easily.

"Wouldn't you want to see us in action so you can tell whether or not we are good enough to be part of your team, co-leader? You can get some good old vitamin-D for that pasty skin of yours." Mike had teased her. He raised his eyebrows at her, challenging her to be spontaneous for once and do something that she normally wouldn't do.

Lauren had laughed at Mike's good humor jabs and agreed to give them company while they trained. Mike even brought out an easel and set it up for her on the patio. Jayden wasn't so sure what to make of it all. But it was another thing he knew he had to get used to. Lauren and Jayden's routine was going to change whether he liked it or not. However seeing Lauren so lighthearted while trying to accomplish casting the symbol properly for once, instead of sullen and frustrated made Jayden very grateful to Mike. Although, it also made him feel like a horrible brother for not thinking about doing that in the first place. Maybe having the rest of the rangers around was a good thing for both him and Lauren.

Even if having them all in close proximity started giving Lauren some pretty ridiculous ideas. 'Especially like the one last night.'

With that line of thought, Jayden turned slightly pink and looked towards where the girls were training. Sure, this is the first time where he's been in a situation where girls were involved, but that didn't mean that he would just develop feelings so easily for one of them. It was clear that they both were pretty in different ways, Jayden could admit that. He could also admit to himself, as he saw them training, that both of them could handle themselves well in battle. They were both nice and sweet, and compassionate and caring. So having a crush on either of them probably wouldn't be so far-fetched. But as far as Jayden was concerned, crushes come easily and are usually momentary. Real feelings, however, seemed to take time and grow day by day.

If push comes to shove, Jayden could admit that he may have had a bit of a –something- on Mia that first day when she touched his arm. It could have been a blink-and-you-miss-it crush, but that faded away, or really just faded into wanting to know her- as well as everyone else- as friends. Jayden only ever had Antonio as a friend before, but he moved. And with everything going on, now seemed like a good time to just think about friendships rather than relationships. Not only that, he needed to learn how to interact with people who weren't Ji or Lauren and grow as an individual before he could even think about being in a romantic relationship. He was well aware of how socially stunted he was due to staying on the Shiba property with only his sister and Ji as company. This was the ideal time to explore that avenue of thinking, not which one of his teammates he wanted to bang.

Crushes and feelings could wait until after Master Xandred and his evil army of nighlok and moogers are defeated for good. 'However, that doesn't mean that if real feelings were to arise I would push them away. I promised Lauren I would feel them and act upon them. At least she didn't stipulate the time period I had to let the person know. Yay, for small victories,' Jayden thought as he looked over towards where Lauren was situated.

His gaze was pulled away from his sister when he heard someone shout "Ow!" and fell to Mike. Mike was rubbing at his shoulder, where Kevin's attack must have made contact.

"Are you okay?" Jayden asked him, as he made his way across the training mat towards the pair.

"Of course." Mike replied automatically.

Jayden nodded. "Get into your opponent's head," he told Mike. "Use your instincts to sense their next move. And feel their attack coming."

As he said this, Jayden made to attack Kevin. Kevin, being prepared was able to block it. 'Let's see if Mike learned something right now.' Jayden thought, as he kept up his attack on Kevin.

Unfortunately, it appeared that Mike did not get the lesson at all. "Wow, Kevin, that's amazing- ow!" Jayden's attack landed on his shoulder.

"Mike, always keep your guard up." Jayden said. Looking at Ji, Ji came over.

"Mike let me ask you something," Ji started to say. Mike, getting distracted once again, was not ready to block Jayden's next move.

"Ow! Hey, that's not fair. You distracted me." Seeing the look on Jayden's face, a lightbulb went on. "Oh okay. I get it now. Let me try again, one more time." Mike was able to block one of his swipes but completely missed the other one, which knocked him down on the ground.

Seeing that Mike needed another demonstration, Jayden said, "Now watch this," as he started sparring with Kevin.

In the commotion that of the demonstration and how Kevin's pants fell down during it, no one noticed that Mike had left the training yard. That was, at least until Emily asked, "Hey, where did Mike go?"

Jayden looked around the yard and saw that Mike did indeed leave. Despite Mike's early departure from the training session, the rest of them went back to practicing. However, something about the situation didn't sit right with him.

As they were all going inside after they were done, Lauren grabbed his arm in order to speak to him privately. "Was all that really necessary?" Lauren asked him quietly.

Jayden looked at her in confusion. "Was what necessary?"

"That whole anticipate your opponent's next move thing you did with Mike." Lauren replied.

"I was just trying to get him to improve, that was all." Jayden said in his defense, seeing the look of disappointment on her face.

Lauren sighed. "Jayden, don't you think you went a bit too hard on him in this case?"

"This was how we learned." Jayden reminded her.

"Look, I get that, but you have to understand that everyone learns differently. What works for one person may not work for another." Seeing the lost look on his face, Lauren continued. "Just keep it in mind okay?"

Not wanting to have his sister be mad at her, he nodded. "I will."

"Good, this is import-" Whatever she was going to got cut off by the gap censor going off.

"Jayden, there's a nighlok in the plaza. We need to go!" Kevin said as Mia and Emily followed right behind him.

"Right. Let's go!" Jayden said.

"What about Mike?" Mia asked as they started on their way.

"Yeah, shouldn't we try to call him and let him know about the nighlok attack?" Emily added.

"If we need to, we will. For right now let's focus on the nighlok." Jayden said with authority. They looked a bit apprehensive, but went along with their leader's command.

As soon as they got to the plaza square, they saw Mike going against the nighlok on his own. Seeing that he was about to get crushed by the nighlok's ridiculously long arms, Jayden stepped in. "That's enough. You've worn out your welcome!" He told the monster.

The nighlok gave an evil laugh. "Even the red ranger cannot see what is going on underground." As soon as the nighlok said that, one of his arms hit Jayden. Jayden went flew ten feet away and hit the ground hard next to Mike and two civilians.

"Are you guys okay?" Emily asked as she, Kevin, and Mia got to the group on the floor.

"Sure. Now let's take down this creep." Jayden told them.

Just ask Jayden got to his feet, he saw that the nighlok was starting to dry up. It was cracking in some places and losing its color. "Feels like I'm starting to dry out. Better punch out for now. See you later rangers." The nighlok said as it disappeared.

"Come on, let's get back to the house. You're hurt, Mike," Kevin said as he helped Mike up.

Once they got back to the Shiba house, they conjugated in the sitting room and started tending to injuries.

"Thank goodness you were there, Mike. You prevented that nighlok from injuring a lot of innocent people." Ji said proudly, looking at Mike. He was seated on the far couch, getting his injuries from the battle bandaged up by Mia and Emily. Lauren was close by holding onto the first aid kit, in case they needed anything else.

"We came as soon as we heard." Jayden said as he went to sit down on an empty couch himself. Guilt rushed through him knowing that one of the members of his team got hurt enough that he needed bandaging in the first place. He should have gotten there earlier to help. What kind of leader allows his teammates to get hurt?

"I thought I could take him alone." Mike confessed in a defeated tone.

"That was brave of you. But imagine what could have happened." Kevin stated with worry.

"I know." Mike replied, slightly annoyed and dejected.

Hearing that tone in his voice, Jayden got up to sit next to him. "Mike, being a Samurai is the ultimate sacrifice. Since we are fighting evil, you must stay away from your family and friends in order to keep them safe," Jayden said.

He saw a quick flash of sadness flash through Mike's green eyes before it disappeared and turned to steel resolve. "I realize that now. But at least I got to go and check on my friends." As soon as he said that he got up, pushed away from Lauren, Emily, and Mia who were still crowding around him, and threw his shirt back on over the bandages. He was making a exit, and everyone in the room knew it.

"Mike," Ji started to say as Mike got up to leave the room, trying to stop him. He turned to Jayden with a questioning look in his eyes. However, Jayden didn't know how to respond to the silent question. Instead, he was wrapped up in his own thoughts.

Jayden was seven years old the first time Ji set him and Lauren down and explained about other rangers who were in training. Sure, the two of them knew that the Samurai duty didn't just fall on the Shiba family, but four other families as well. But that part never sunk in until Ji told them about it. Growing up after that, Jayden just assumed that each of his future teammates grew up the same way he and Lauren did. It was very obvious to him now how wrong that assumption was.

Unlike Lauren and Jayden who were confined to the Shiba property for their own safety, the others were able to go wherever they wanted without worrying. They weren't homeschooled, so they were able to make friends. They didn't have to carry the burden of a heavy secret, so they were still able to have other interests besides Samurai training. They had the opportunity to find out who they were as people on their own terms first before all the ranger business. They weren't forced into set roles like his sister and him. They all had normal lives before all of this- family and friends waiting for them once this was all over. It was no wonder then why Mike was taking the separation from his friends so badly. Just because Lauren and him didn't get to indulge in actually living their lives the way they may have wanted to, didn't mean that the rest of the rangers were raised the same way.

It was with this new understanding that Jayden nodded to Ji to allow Mike to leave the house. After Mike left the room, no one really moved away or said anything. They all just sat in silence, lost in their own internal thoughts and feelings. From the corner of his eye, Jayden saw Lauren slink away quietly. Confused as to what Lauren was doing, he got up and followed her. He was about to call out to her when he saw that she had managed to stop Mike from leaving and started talking to him. Not wanting to let them know that he was there listening in on them, Jayden hid behind the corner.

"Mike, please wait," Lauren called to him before he could step outside the door.

Luckily for her, Mike did stop and turned around to face her. "Look, I get it Lauren. My friends would be in danger if I met up with them again, but I have to make sure they are alright. I learned my lesson this time, me being around them makes them easy targets for nighloks and moogers. I just want to see with my own eyes that they weren't hurt too badly by the attack today. Please, let me do that." Mike pleaded.

Lauren shook her head slowly. Seeing her head shake, a frown came upon Mike's face. He was going to open his mouth to say something, but it was obvious to Lauren that he misunderstood why she was shaking her head in the first place.

"I'm not here to stop you from doing that, Mike," she said to him.

"You're not? Then why did you stop me right now?" Mike asked in confusion.

Jayden saw Lauren take a deep breath. "I just wanted to make sure you understood something. You are now part of a team, and that means you have teammates. We are your allies. We are here to help you whenever you need it. You went off and tried to defeat the nighlok on your own today, and got hurt. One of the first things Jayden and I learned at a young age about being a Samurai ranger from our father was to always stand by our allies. You have us, Mike. Don't forget that."

"Some allies," Mike scoffed. "You were there at practice today this morning. You saw what happened. What kind of help would you call that training session? Let's pick on the weakest link? I already have issues with my symbol power, and now not being able to anticipate my opponent's attack? How much more can I suck at all of this? Jayden is pretty much the best at the whole Samurai thing, we all know that. He probably wouldn't have put any of his friends in danger or gotten hurt today if he was in my place."

A brief pause in the conversation between the two allowed Mike's words to sink in. Jayden felt horrible knowing how bad Mike felt about the situation from this morning and the attack. All Jayden wanted to do was teach his fellow teammates something new that they could use, kind of like how they were all teaching him something new every day they were around him. In hindsight, maybe his method wasn't the best way to go about it.

"Look," Lauren said after the short lull. "I get that today was a pretty tough day for you. But I still stand by what I said. We are your team, we are your allies, and standing by our allies is what we do. You are not alone in all of this."

This time it was Mike who shook his head. "Thanks, Lauren, but I need to sort this out on my own." After he stated that, he made his way out the door.

Just before he was fully out of the door, Lauren called out to him once more. "Mike, just because you made a mistake doesn't mean you are the weakest link. You shouldn't compare yourself to Jayden, or any of us for that matter. Mine and Jayden's case is so much different than all of yours. And just between me and you, there is always room for improvement. No one is perfect, not even Jayden."

Mike hadn't turned around to look at her when she called out to him, but he had paused. Both Jayden and Lauren knew that he heard what she had said, he just didn't reply back. He just started making his way out again, and this time didn't stop.

"Jayden, I know you're there. You can come out now." Lauren said out loud after a few moments.

'Busted.' He had meant to leave, but stopped when he heard his sister.

"How did you know I was here?" Jayden asked her.

"Trade secret. But that's beside the point. Please tell me you learned something here right now from that conversation." Lauren said, looking at him expectantly.

"I did, and don't worry I know exactly what to do." Jayden reassured her.

"And what, pray tell, is your plan?" She asked him.

"He needs to come to grips that we are a team now, just like all of us do. We each have our own way. I think he needs to do this, by himself, but know we are here as backup only if he needs us. That way he can get his confidence back, and still be okay with us being here for him." Jayden explained to her.

Lauren nodded. "Are you sure that would be the best action to take?"

Jayden knew from the way she phrased her question that she was not asking him as his sister, but as his co-leader. Straightening his back in the hopes to appear more formal he answered her question with authority. "Yes."

"Okay. I trust your judgment." Lauren said as she walked away from him, leaving Jayden alone in the hallway for a bit. He then slowly made his way back to the sitting room.

Upon his arrival, he saw that only Emily had remained there. She still had the roll of bandages in her hand and looked to be having a staring contest with the wooden table in front of her. "Hey, Emily," he said to her as he sat down once again on the couch.

Emily snapped out of her daze and gave a small smile to Jayden. "Hey, Jayden," she said in a soft voice.

This made Jayden feel a bit concerned. "Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just worried about Mike." She admitted. "Do you think he will be okay?" Emily asked, biting her lower lip.

"I think he just needs some time right now." He said to her honestly.

"Yeah, I guess so. He went through a lot today, huh?" Jayden nodded to her. "Well, I guess, I'll just put this away and go back to my room." Emily announced. Giving Jayden one more slight smile, she got up and left Jayden alone.

'Mike is fine, he just needs a day to shake it off. He'll be okay. I hope. We need to figure out how to defeat this nighlok.' Jayden thought, bringing his hands up to massage his temples. 'Maybe I should take an aspirin. Can't have Lauren be the only druggie in the house.'

It was clear to see the next morning that Mike hadn't come back. The rest of the team seemed really down knowing that fact.

"He will come back won't he?" Emily asked out loud when she didn't see Mike for breakfast.

No one answered, and a sad look came upon her face. Jayden really hated to see the usually happy, bubbly girl so upset. "I'm sure he will, Emily," he replied back to her. 'He better.' Jayden thought angrily, looking at Emily going back to eating her cereal halfheartedly. Kevin and Mia didn't look any better. Lauren was the only one that didn't appear to be as upset as the rest of them. But Jayden knew that on the inside, even she was worried about Mike.

They had just finished their breakfast when the gap censor went off and they rushed to where the nighlok had returned. This time however, they were without Mike and the nighlok had come with moogers. They didn't have time to think about Mike right now, they had an enemy to defeat. So they took out their samuraizers and morphed.

"I only see four rangers, where's the green one? Too hurt?" The nighlok taunted.

Before Jayden could reply, Mike had suddenly appeared right in front of them. "Looking for me?" He said back to the nighlok.

"Mike, you came back!" Emily exclaimed.

"Look out," Mike warned them. "I'm gonna take this nighlok alone."

"You can't." Kevin stated.

"Well, I'm gonna try. It's payback time." Mike said to the nighlok just before he morphed.

Jayden, seeing that there were still moogers around to defeat, called out to the rest of the rangers. "Come on, let's help him."

"Right!" They replied back as they began attacking the moogers. Jayden decided that while the others were taking care of the moogers, he would go help Mike with the nighlok. Maybe with the two of them together, they would be able to defeat the nighlok.

He saw that Mike had the nighlok chase him with his long arms in sporadically. Jayden gave a laugh when he realized what Mike's plan was. 'Way to go, Mike!' He cheered inwardly. Catching up to the two of them, Jayden heard Mike as he asked the nighlok, "Did you miss me?"

"Maybe. But I won't miss you this time." The nighlok replied.

Seeing his chance, Jayden stepped in between one of the nighlok's arms and prevented it from hitting Mike.

"Jayden," Mike said, surprised to see him there.

"So he stopped one punch. I got two arms." The nighlok then brought his other arm and punched Jayden. He flew and got hit against the concrete pillar.

"Jayden, you okay?" Mike asked him. Seeing that he had a tight hold on the nighlok's one arm, Mike went into action. "I got it from here," he said confidently. Mike was able to get the nighlok to hit himself with his arm, and defeat him.

"You were amazing!" Emily stated, when the other rangers finally caught up to the two of them.

"So great," Mia agreed.

"I guess you did okay." Kevin amended.

"Hey!" Mike replied indignantly.

"Lighten up, Kevin. After all, Mike did just defeat that nighlok." Mia said, hitting Kevin on the shoulder.

Jayden didn't want to burst their bubble but he had to do it. "I wouldn't celebrate just yet if I were you. Time for round two. He's coming back as a mega monster."

In the end, with some teamwork and taking the time to anticipate the nighlok's moves, they defeated the nighlok together.

The team was in high spirits when they came back to the Shiba house and all gathered once again in the sitting room.

"That was some good work out there, Mike," Jayden said to him. Jayden spared a look to Ji and Lauren who were both standing off to the side, knowing that they thought the same thing.

"Yeah, you were great." Kevin quickly added.

"The way you tricked that nighlok was beyond creative." Mia stated in admiration.

"It was so cool how you used those wacky arms against him." Emily giggled.

"Yeah. Couldn't have done it better myself." Kevin said, wrapping an arm around Mike's shoulders.

Mike allowed the weight there for a bit before he gently shrugged it off. Suddenly, he looked a bit unsure of himself. "Well, the truth is," he started telling them all. "I did trick him but it wasn't enough. Actually, it was Jayden who helped me defeat him. I only anticipated the attack from one of his arms. Jayden go the other one. I couldn't have done it without him." Mike admitted, giving Jayden a look of appreciation.

Jayden shook his head, and walked towards Mike. "We can do anything as a team." He looked right into Mike's eyes as he reached out his right hand out, palm facing down.

Mia, who was on his left, got what he was trying to do. She gave Jayden a smile, and then looked over to Mike as well, while she put her right hand on top of Jayden's.

Emily beamed as she placed her hand on top of theirs, and Kevin followed suit with a slight smirk. He raised his eyebrow at Mike.

Jayden saw Mike also break into a smile, and made to bring his hand into the pile. However, he stopped short and looked outside the small circle. He spotted Lauren and called out towards her, "If we are going to do a team huddle, we need all its members. Get over here, co-leader!"

A look of surprised crossed Lauren's face as she made to move towards the group, standing in between Mike and Kevin. Seeing all of their smiles turn on her, Lauren tentatively put her hand on the very top. Mike nudged her on her shoulder, and rolled his eyes at her in mock exasperation. This made Lauren break out into a grin as well.

Catching Lauren's gaze, Jayden knew that she felt the same feelings inside her as he did in him. Whatever other feelings that may happen or not be damned. This is what mattered right now. This was their team, this was their family, and this was love.

"Rangers together, Samurai forever!" They all cried out as they lifted their hands into the air.


End file.
